


this strange but familiar moment

by adashofhope



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28333674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adashofhope/pseuds/adashofhope
Summary: kyungsoo needs a fake date to his snobby cousin’s wedding. chanyeol has experience in that field.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 16
Kudos: 66





	1. one

“I need to talk to you.”

Chanyeol blinks once. Then, he looks at his manager who’s busy typing away on his phone and looks around him for good measure. 

“Yes, I mean you,” Kyungsoo fidgets nervously, sticking his hands in his pocket to overcome the urge to bite his fingernails. 

“I, uh…” Chanyeol looks at his manager who is finally paying attention to him, hoping and pleading with his eyes that his manager will take the hint and make up some excuse about a schedule or remind Chanyeol that he has an actual schedule to attend to. 

His manager sighs in relief, a bit of the trademark panicked look on his face subsiding, “Oh, that’s great, Kyungsoo-ssi. Chanyeol has an hour or so to kill before his next schedule here and I’ve got an emergency to take care of so watch him for me, will you?”

“I’m not…” Chanyeol begins to say, but his manager is already running off in the opposite direction with a phone pressed against his ear. 

“A child?” Kyungsoo teases.

“I’m older than you,” Chanyeol warns, still a little uncomfortable at Kyungsoo’s sudden friendly behavior. 

“I’m still your sunbae.”

Chanyeol ignores that, walking into the studio as the smaller boy trails behind him nervously. He waits until Kyungsoo is settled into a chair before he speaks, “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Uh, well, I, you see…” Kyungsoo trails off, mouth moving but words refusing to come out as he looks around the studio, at everywhere but Chanyeol.

Chanyeol raises his eyebrows and stares at him reassuringly. It’s times like these where Kyungsoo looks and sounds way younger than he actually is, with his usually perfectly styled hair all dry and flat covering his forehead, and his incoherent sentences.

“You can do it,” Chanyeol jokingly encourages, but it comes out way softer than he means for it to. Chanyeol internally cringes and waves his fist in front of Kyungsoo’s face, “Fighting!”

Kyungsoo doesn’t look like he heard him at all, which Chanyeol is pretty grateful for. That was embarrassing. 

Finally, Kyungsoo looks up from his fingers, “What are you doing in the second week of July?”

“If this is about wanting me to produce for your new album-”

“No, it’s not about work. My album isn't gonna be out ‘till August. Most of my schedules start toward the end of July.”

“Oh. I don’t have anything on,” Chanyeol pauses to mentally flip through his calendar before scrunching up his face and shaking his head. “Nope, I don’t. Sehun’s got to film a movie so we can’t do anything.”

“Solo stuff?”

“A few months later. I have a reality show to film for but I’m pretty sure our last shooting schedule will be on July 2nd. Why do you ask?”

“Ah,” Kyungsoo frowns, looking disappointed. “You see, my cousin is getting married.”

“Oh! That’s great!”

Kyungsoo shakes his head very seriously, “We don’t like her.”

“I see,” Chanyeol nods, suppressing a giggle. And so what, if Chanyeol found that cute? Sue him!

“She likes you, though, like every other girl that’s 15-30 years old. So, she purposely did not include a plus one on my wedding invitation because she assumed that I had no one to bring. I got irritated and told her it was wrong of her to assume like that.”

“Was she wrong?” Chanyeol asks, a little too eagerly. He’d been waiting for a subtle way to ask Kyungsoo if he was dating anyone for  _ so long.  _ There was no way he was going to miss out on that opportunity when Kyungsoo was basically handing it to him on a silver platter.

Kyungsoo stares at him for a solid minute and Chanyeol starts to regret every decision he’s ever made. 

Then, he shakes his head, “She was right, but she was being so condescending about it. So, when she asked me if I had a date to the wedding, I said yes and she didn’t believe me-”

_ “You’re telling me you have a date to the wedding?” she laughs, looking at Kyungsoo in disbelief.  _

_ “Yes,” Kyungsoo lies. _

_ “Like an actual date? And not just some pretty actress friend of yours from one of your dramas.” _

_ “What part of ‘yes’ do you not understand?” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.  _

_ His mood is beginning to worsen with every second that passes in which he has to keep up with his stupid lie.  _

_ “And who would that be?” she chuckles, arranging the empty wedding invitations on her lap neatly. “Chanyeol from SC?” _

_ “Yup,” Kyungsoo nods, smirk forming on his face as he watches her fingers stop moving in shock.  _

_ “No way. You and Chanyeol from SC?” _

_ “You do know we’re from the same company, right?” _ _  
  
_

_ “Yes, but that doesn’t mean-” _

_ “And that he was a producer for Chromosome before he became an idol? He’s produced and written so many songs with and for me. We’ve actually known each other for a long time, it shouldn’t even be surprising that we’re together.” _

_ “Okay, Kyungsoo,” she says, filling out a brand new, empty wedding invitation and visibly ticking the plus one box.  _

_ Only then does it truly sink in.  _

_ Kyungsoo keeps his calm composure plastered on his face before grabbing the wedding invitation, “You really think I’ll bring him now? At least half of the people there, not to mention your friends are his fans. And we’re not even public. How can I trust you?” _

_ “We’re family, Kyungsoo. You’re the one that got so mad that you didn’t get a plus one anyway. Honestly, I don’t believe you at all and this sounds like another one of your tantrums but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” _

Chanyeol blinks once. Twice. Slowly, his mouth falls open. 

Kyungsoo scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, “What I’m saying is, do you want to go to my cousin’s wedding with me? As my date.”

“As your date,” Chanyeol repeats slowly, hands on his knees.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nods slowly, wanting more than anything to get the hell out of there. “As my fake date.”

“Look, I just…Jihyun is going to be there too and I’m so sick of everyone pitying me after the break-up and my cousin is just a bitch-“

“I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

“I mean, how bad could it be? It’s only a couple of hours, and the fans wouldn’t even know unless people ask for pictures.”

“They will,” Kyungsoo says.

“But I mean, it’s not so suspicious. They know we’re friends, and it helps that we’re from the same company.”

“Right, also it’s not going to be a couple hours. It’s sort of a destination wedding, but in Jeju. We’ll be there a few days, I think.”

Chanyeol frowns, “Are you trying to convince me or…?”

In all honesty, Kyungsoo doesn’t know either.

“I’m just telling you the truth, and giving you a chance to back out now.”

Just then, Chanyeol’s phone buzzes. He checks it and his eyes widen, “I’m late.”

Before Kyungsoo can ask if he still wants to come, Chanyeol runs out of the studio, smoothing down his clothes.

—

**(2) Unread Text Messages**

**Park Chanyeol**

_ Park Chanyeol: hey wyd  _

_ Park Chanyeol: sorry i had to run out i was late for an interview with sehun _

_ D.O.: I’m in the practice room. _

_ Park Chanyeol: ur usual one? _

_ D.O.: You know it? _

_ Park Chanyeol: uhhhshshs yea my manager hyung told me  _

_ Park Chanyeol: can i drop by 😆😆 _

_ D.O.: You still want to come? To the wedding? _

_ Park Chanyeol: didn’t i already say yes -_- _

_ D.O.: Okay. I’m alone here anyway. Practice is over. _

_ Park Chanyeol: 👍 _

Kyungsoo hears loud footsteps coming from outside the practice room and looks up from his phone to see Chanyeol entering with a plastic bag in his hands. 

He’s dressed down now. An oversized white sweater, fluorescent yellow shorts that make Kyungsoo’s eyes hurt, a chain and his signature beanie. Chanyeol raises the arm that’s holding the plastic bag, “I bought chicken.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes light up and they both walk to the rest area of the practice room. Chanyeol takes a seat next to him and they both unpack the food. 

Kyungsoo stares at him suspiciously, “Are you wearing makeup?”

Chanyeol sputters, nearly dropping the still hot piece of fried chicken in his hand, “Yeah.”

Kyungsoo looks away from the spot on his cheek where he hadn’t blended his CC cream properly. It looks like he’d applied it himself. 

He decides to stare at the obscene pair of shorts instead, “You’re not bringing those, by the way.”

“What’s wrong with these?”

“They’re ugly.”

“You’re ugly.”

“You had a crush on me when you first met me.”

“What?” Chanyeol exclaims, eyes wide and filled with panic.

Kyungsoo smirks. So, it was true. 

“That’s the story we’re going with,” Kyungsoo shrugs nonchalantly, reaching for a piece of fried chicken with his chopsticks.

“The story?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna need a story to convince my dumb cousin.”

Chanyeol nods. Kyungsoo decides he likes messing with Chanyeol. 

“Wait,” Chanyeol pauses, placing his half-eaten drumstick in the box. “Why am I the one with the crush on you?”

“Because it’s more believable,” Kyungsoo shrugs.

Chanyeol rolls his eyes and shoves him, “Literally half of the people at the wedding are in love with me.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Okay fine,” Chanyeol gives in, dipping his drumstick in the small container of hot sauce. “I liked you first when we first met, but you were dating Jihyun so I didn’t make a move on you. I asked you out a little while after you guys broke up and we’ve been together since.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo agrees. “That’s simple and easy to remember.”

Chanyeol picks up his phone and presses a few buttons before Kyungsoo’s own phone buzzes beside him. Kyungsoo looks at him quizzically.

“I made a list of all the stuff you’d probably need to know about me as my boyfriend.” 

“...Like a while ago? Weren’t you at your schedule- no, aren’t you even a tad freaked out by this?”

“Not really,” Chanyeol shrugs, wiping his hands clean with a tissue. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

Kyungsoo’s jaw drops, “No way. You’ve fake dated before?”

“Recently, yeah, further proving that everyone is in love with me, although that was just to make someone else jealous.”

“You’re weird.”

“You’re the one that needs my help.”

“Fine.”

“You’ve got to give me a list too. I barely know anything about you and no, I’m not reading one of your interviews. You straight up reply with one word.”

“Interviews are boring,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, leaning back on the sofa and rubbing his belly. “Who cares about my ideal type?”

Chanyeol fidgets.

“Someone who smiles a lot. You?”

Chanyeol relaxes. 

“Someone who loves music as much as I do. And also cute. And also small.”

  
  


\---

Junmyeon pauses, looking over at Kyungsoo wearily, “You’re taking Chanyeol with you? As your date?”

Kyungsoo nods, scrolling mindlessly on his phone to appear nonchalant about it. 

Junmyeon focuses on the road instead, eyebrows furrowed and Chromosome Entertainment lanyard poking his neck from where he’d pushed it aside so he could drive comfortably.

After a while he speaks again, “Is Jihyun going to be there?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Yes.”

Junmyeon looks over at him again and nods with a thoughtful expression on his face. His hair is falling into his eyes from the way it’s parted and Kyungsoo thinks he should keep his eyes on the road.

“Do you want me to come with you? Things could get weird if they find out both you and Jihyun are going to be there.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Kyungsoo says. He feels like he’s talking to one of his parents. How many times has Junmyeon said Jihyun’s name in this conversation already? “It’s only a few days. Plus, I’ll have Chanyeol with me.”

Junmyeon is about to say something but Kyungsoo cuts him off, “I’m not dating him, honestly. I’d tell you if I was. I don’t want to stress you out again.”

Junmyeon smiles, and Kyungsoo swears he sees his eyes twinkle. He shakes his head slightly and Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he’s disagreeing with him or trying to get his bangs out of his eyes. 

“It’s nothing I can’t handle, anyway. You don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not ready. I am your manager, after all.”

“You should really be a model instead.”

At that Junmyeon laughs shyly, shaking his head.   
  


  
“My fans are literally obsessed with you too. I know Chromosome’s mad they didn’t scout you before you applied for the manager position.”

“I would’ve still turned them down.”

“Fair enough. You’re basically an Instagram model anyway.”

“As I was saying, if you need me I’ll be on the next flight to Jeju in seconds.”

“I love you too, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes and Kyungsoo smiles.

\--

**(1)Unread Text Message**

**Park Chanyeol**

_ Park Chanyeol: kyungsoo _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: Yes? _

_ Park Chanyeol: wow that was fast lol i guess ur not busy??????? _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: Not really, why? _

_ Park Chanyeol: wanna go shopping with me  _

_ Park Chanyeol: if u have nothing else to do ofc and if you’re bored too lol like i am _

_ Park Chanyeol: honestly i’m going shopping bc i realised i don’t have any beach attire for jeju  _

_ Park Chanyeol: so rly it’s your fault _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: You don’t have a t-shirt and a pair of shorts? _

_ Park Chanyeol: you told me i couldnt bring them _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: ...Are all your shorts brightly colored? _

_ Park Chanyeol: yea  _

_ Park Chanyeol: also i wanna impress ur parents lol  _

_ Park Chanyeol: get even more people to fall in love w me and all that  _

_ Park Chanyeol: you know i thrive on affection  _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: Everyone does, weirdo. _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: Anyway, sure. I’ll come with. Where should we meet? _

_ Park Chanyeol: are u at the office _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: No, I’m at home. _

_ Park Chanyeol: oh _

_ Park Chanyeol: should i pick u up _

_ Kyungsoo-yaaa: Sure. I’ll send you my location. Let me know when you’re downstairs and I’ll buzz you up. _

_ Park Chanyeol: ok cool >.< _

_ \--- _

Kyungsoo takes another sip of Chanyeol’s iced coffee when he’s not looking and watches as he struggles to decide between two nearly identical, white cotton shirts. He’s past complaining and nagging at Chanyeol as long as his back is turned, it just means Kyungsoo gets to steal more coffee. Chanyeol turns around all of a sudden and Kyungsoo pokes the roof of his mouth with the straw in his haste to stop drinking Chanyeol’s coffee. He mentally curses himself for not getting his own earlier, even when Chanyeol had asked him three whole times just to be sure. 

“Which one do you like better, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo stares at both shirts. The only visible difference is the colour of the buttons. The fabric seems to be the same, the color too. He squints and sees a light, almost hidden pattern sewed onto the hem of the shirt. Nevertheless, he points at the plain, patternless cotton shirt instead. 

Chanyeol smiles, all wide and toothy. It’s contagious, so the right corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth quirks up in a half-smile too. 

“I was leaning towards that one too.”

Chanyeol grabs his hand and drags him to the shorts section, making eyes at the brightly-colored orange shorts hanging on the rack. It looks horrible, to say the least. Kyungsoo’s about to say something when his phone rings loudly, echoing throughout the almost empty store. 

He places his phone on silent mode first, flashing an apologetic smile to Chanyeol who was so startled by the sudden ringing that he’d dropped the pile of clothes in his hands. He checks the caller ID and sighs, “It’s Junmyeon-hyung. I should probably take this.”

“Oh, no worries!” Chanyeol waves him off with a suspiciously bright smile as he turns back to the ugly shorts and Kyungsoo makes a mental note to sort through his pile of clothes and make them mysteriously disappear before he pays for them. 

“Hello?”

“Kyungsoo.”

“Yeah, hyung?”

“Are you out with Chanyeol right now?”

“Uh, yeah. I thought I didn’t have any schedules today?”

Junmyeon sounds tired already, “I-It’s not that.”

“Wait, how did you know I was with Chanyeol? I don’t think I told you.”

Junmyeon sighs again and it makes Kyungsoo all the more anxious, “I think you guys have a sasaeng on your hands. There’s pictures of you guys eating takoyaki all over the web, and a pretty blurry photo of you guys shopping together too? I think?”

“Fuck. Again?” Kyungsoo exhales, running a hand through his hair. 

“I think this might be one of the SC sasaengs. It’s mostly pictures of Chanyeol.”

“Do they…?” 

“Suspect you’re on a date? No, well not most of them. Most of your international fans do, though, from what I’ve seen on Twitter. The jury’s still out on whether they’re just joking or serious about it.”

“Alright. I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t bother to wear a mask this time around.”

“Don’t apologise, Kyungsoo. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay? I suggest you and Chanyeol do the rest of your shopping online from one of your homes. I don’t think it’s safe there with someone possibly tailing you both.”

“Right. Thanks again, hyung. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Anytime, Kyungsoo.”

The call ends. Kyungsoo sighs, suddenly the feeling of being watched by someone overwhelming him a little. He drags his feet as he approaches the older boy, who’s still happily sifting through the multicoloured beach shorts on the rack. 

When Chanyeol looks up and sees him, he pulls Kyungsoo down with him so that they’re both crouching over the rack now. 

“Don’t look now, but I think someone’s following us.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo sighs. “That call was Junmyeon. Apparently, one of your sasaengs has been tailing us today.”

At that, Chanyeol’s face drops. The wide smile on his face immediately wiped away with a guilty looking frown. 

_ No,  _ Kyungsoo thinks.  _ I didn’t mean it that way. It’s not your fault.  _

“Oh,” Chanyeol mumbles, looking down at his fingers. “I’m sorry, Soo. I know how much you struggle with sasaengs. I’ll go pay for these and we can head home right away.”

Kyungsoo wants to say no, but it’s not like the two of them should stay there any longer either so he keeps his mouth shut and watches as Chanyeol slumps away to the counter. 

When they finally make it to his car, Kyungsoo tugs on his beanie and sinks in his seat. Chanyeol still hasn’t said anything and still has that kicked puppy look on his face. 

“Sasaengs are the worst.”

It was meant to be an icebreaker, something to ease them into the topic of conversation and make it easier for Kyungsoo to make sure Chanyeol knows it’s not his fault. It does not work because Chanyeol only nods meekly and his kicked puppy look intensifies, if it’s even possible. 

Kyungsoo clears his throat, “I’m trying to say it’s not your fault.”

Chanyeol looks at him in surprise, eyes wide and ears moving ever so slightly. Kyungsoo thinks he resembles a cartoon character, or an elf, maybe a handsome fairy prince, but no one has to know that.

Kyungsoo slaps his arm playfully, “Eyes on the road.”

When Chanyeol looks back straight ahead, Kyungsoo speaks again but softly, “I didn’t mean it like that. Yeah, it was your sasaeng but it wasn’t your fault. It never is, ok? I didn’t blame you for a second. So- so, stop looking like a kicked puppy.”

At that, Chanyeol grins, all toothy and wide, “A puppy?”

“A  _ kicked  _ puppy. That face isn’t going to work on me anymore.”

“So, it  _ did  _ work?”

“I’ll make you crash the car,” Kyungsoo threatens, reaching out for the steering wheel.

Chanyeol jerks away slightly, “Whatever you say, Soo. My fans say I look like a baby giraffe, sometimes even a white tiger.”

“A white tiger cub, maybe.”

“It’s nice to know I’m a puppy in your eyes, though,” Chanyeol teases, leaning closer to Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo stares. He doesn’t mean to, but he does. It happens for a second, but it feels like those cheesy dramas when time stops and an angelic glow surrounds the love interest and everything’s in slow motion and- 

“Kyungsoo?”

Chanyeol looks over at him, one eyebrow furrowed and another quirked upwards in confusion. 

“Yeah?”

“I guess you zoned out. You do that a lot, but it’s okay. What animal are you?”

“Promise not to laugh.”

“Aw, come on! How bad could it be? All animals are wonderful!”

Kyungsoo has the strong urge to pinch Chanyeol’s cheek with his right hand so he tucks it under his thigh instead. 

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Tell me,” Chanyeol whines.

Kyungsoo tucks his left hand under his left thigh. 

“A penguin.”

The car comes to a halt. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in shock and he looks to Chanyeol, half ready to curse him out when he sees the red light illuminating his face. Kyungsoo’s about to zone out again, maybe stare at Chanyeol’s features and think about how he looks like a handsome devil instead but Chanyeol coos out loud, startling him.

Chanyeol seems to have zero self-control unlike Kyungsoo because he reaches out and pokes Kyungsoo’s cheek with his index finger, “You  _ do  _ look like a penguin! That’s adorable!”

Chanyeol covers his mouth with both his hands and gasps, berating himself for not realising it sooner. Then, he clutches the left side of his chest and throws his head back, “Ah, that’s adorable!”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and shoves at him, “Shut up, you oaf.”

“Ok, Pororo.”

___

  
  


“Do you have everything you need?” Junmyeon yawns, wrapping his coat around his arms even tighter. 

It’s 4:30 am and the airport is half empty. There’s still a handful of people around but no one seems to be awake enough to recognise them. 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nods, eyes still laden with sleep. Beside him, Chanyeol’s quietly sipping on his coffee from a straw. 

“I’m a text away, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon reminds him, crossing his arms now. The sleepy look is gone from his face and his eyebrows soften with sincerity.

“Take care of him, Chanyeol.”

“I will,” Chanyeol smiles and Kyungsoo is too tired to whine about how he’s an adult and can take care of himself. He settles for a glare instead, hoping it conveys his message.

“Where’s your manager?”

“Asleep.”

“Are you kidding?” Junmyeon asks, rolling his eyes.

“It’s okay,” Chanyeol hurriedly explains. “He’s been busy with Sehun stuff. I told him he didn’t have to come.”

“Sehun stuff?” Junmyeon asks. 

Kyungsoo frowns. This conversation is taking way too long.

“Sehun stuff,” Kyungsoo repeats. “As in his job? Managing Sehun?”

“I know, you brat,” Junmyeon rolls his eyes and exchanges a look with Chanyeol who just apologetically smiles back.

Kyungsoo blames the lack of sleep on his suspicion that his manager and Chanyeol know something that he doesn’t.

“He gets extra bratty when he hasn’t gotten enough sleep,” Junmyeon helpfully tells Chanyeol. “Be careful. It’s annoying.”

“Ah, hyung,” Kyungsoo whines. “Stop acting like a dad!”

“You see?”

Chanyeol just smiles, happy to be able to learn more about his friend, or well, fake boyfriend.

Chanyeol coos, pinching Kyungsoo’s cheek, “Ah, you’re a dongsaeng, after all!”

“It’s all an act,” Junmyeon nods solemnly.

“If you don’t leave now, I’m calling Baekhyun’s manager and telling him you want to cover for him since you’re free for the next few days.”

“Fine,” Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “I’d like to go back to sleep. My boyfriend was not too happy about this anyway.”

“Your what?”

“A text away, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon reminds him with a sinister smile, before waving at them both and leaving.

“He‘s the real brat,” Kyungsoo grumbles. “Can you believe he has a secret boyfriend?”

“Come on, grumpy. We’ve got a flight to catch."

  
  



	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd in case i didnt say it before

“The resort is 20 minutes away.”

“Ah,” Chanyeol smiles. “He speaks!”

Kyungsoo cringes, “Your teeth are so small.”

Chanyeol ignores him, playfully bumping into him instead as they wait for their luggage to arrive on the conveyor belt. It always reminds him of sushi. God, he misses sushi. Maybe, their next trip together should be to Japan. 

“So, what’s the game plan?”

“Well, we’re here early, probably before everyone else so we don’t have anything until the big family dinner tonight. We could order in and strategize for later?”

“After my nap.”

“After my nap, too. I’m still tired.”

It takes them around forty minutes or so to reach their resort. It’s still pretty early in the morning and no one in the resort seems to care that they’re staying, or together. Kyungsoo sees a few people do double takes when they see Chanyeol but no one seems to know who he really is. The receptionist at the front desk smiles a little too widely when she gives them their two sets of keycards to the room. 

She informs them that his cousin had their room upgraded which makes Kyungsoo curse under his breath and Chanyeol’s entire face light up. How he has so much energy even after getting around 3 hours of sleep, Kyungsoo may never know. 

When they get to the room, wheeling their own bags instead of getting help from a bellboy, Kyungsoo curses out loud.

“I knew it. I knew she’d do this,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, looking at the rose petals scattered on the bed in the shape of a love heart. He makes his way over to the scented candles on the bedside tables and blows them out with a huff. Why would they even light candles at 7 am?!

He turns around to find Chanyeol still frozen in his spot, blushing all shades of scarlet. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. He grabs a handful of rose petals and throws them at him. For some reason, this makes Chanyeol blush more but he does come to his senses.

“Ya! Get yourself together!”

“It’s just...rose petals! Come on, Soo.”

_ Soo.  _

Kyungsoo doesn’t dwell on it, “They’re just flower petals, weirdo.”

Chanyeol doesn’t say anything and just belly-flops onto the bed, ruining the heart display, “Ah, I’m exhausted.”

“So am I,” Kyungsoo says quietly, already thinking of the sleeping arrangements as he watches Chanyeol lie down diagonally on the bed. He looks at the single chair at the far corner of the room and cringes. 

Chanyeol suddenly gets up, rose petals sticking to his clothes and caught in his hair. Kyungsoo has a very dangerous thought. Before Kyungsoo can pull himself together and actually listen to the words coming from Chanyeol’s mouth, he’s pulling his shirt over his head and making his way to the shower. 

Kyungsoo hears the door click behind him. He’s too tired to think about anything so he quickly changes into a pair of shorts and a black tee, paranoid the whole time that Chanyeol will walk in on him in the middle of changing. 

Chanyeol is still showering when Kyungsoo carefully slides under the covers and turns on his side. He doesn’t even have time to think about today’s events before he’s dead asleep. 

When he wakes up a few hours later, Chanyeol is curled in a ball, asleep on the covers. It makes it all the more difficult for Kyungsoo to move because Chanyeol is a giant whose weight fits his height. After a few muttered curses at Chanyeol, Kyungsoo manages to get out of bed and check the time and take a shower.

By the time he’s out, it’s already noon so Kyungsoo naturally gravitates towards the room service menu. He sits back down on the bed. 

“What do you want?” Kyungsoo whispers, flipping through the room service lunch menu.

Chanyeol mutters something incoherent in his sleep and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

“Ya,” Kyungsoo kicks his ankle gently with his foot. “Just tell me what you want and go back to sleep.”

“Do-do...don’t c-“

“You’re annoying,” Kyungsoo frowns. “This is what you get for pulling an almost all nighter, asshole.”

“Mmm….whatever.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’m ordering sushi.”

“S-same. Soulmates.”

“I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

—

Chanyeol wakes up for his lunch and goes back to what seems to be permanent hibernation for the rest of the day. It’s at times like this where Kyungsoo really wishes his dumb cousin had said Junmyeon’s name instead, maybe even Sehun, or Baekhyun? No, not Baekhyun. Chanyeol is definitely a more reasonable choice than Baekhyun. 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, or something like that, because Kyungsoo’s phone pings with a text message notification from Baekhyun. 

**(2) New Text Messages**

**bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️**

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: why didn’t you tell me you were going on a trip to jeju  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: I COULDVE FREED MY SCHEDULE  _

_ kyungja~<3: You literally have an album out in a week. _

_ kyungja~<3: Also, you changed your contact name on my phone. Again?! _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: yes the album what about it  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: also it was just a heart emoji i added you’re so overdramatic  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: no wonder you're such a good actor _

_ kyungja~<3: What’s your point? -_- _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: my point is are u having fun or should i come over rn  _

_ kyungja~<3: Why would you come here? You know I’m here for that She-Devil’s wedding.  _

_ kyungja~<3: Besides, I’m not alone. _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: i heard  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: you idiot it would be more believable to date me  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: NOT YOUR ALBUM PRODUCER this is all bc i told u about his lil crush all those years ago ISNT it  _

_ kyungja~<3: First of all, she brought his name up. Not me! I just went with the flow. If it were up to me, I would’ve definitely suggested Junmyeon. _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: JUNMYEON?! the best friend to lovers trope is way more popular than the manager/idol trope _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: i also heard she who shall not be named is going to be there  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: are u sure u don’t want me to come over and be your bf? we can tell ur cuz you dumped chanyeol for me and it would make u look way cooler  _

_ kyungja~<3: I’ll be fine, Baekhyun-ah~  _

_ kyungja~<3: I’ll give you updates. I’ve got to get ready for the family dinner  _

_ bbbbb (bestie byun baekhyun bb)❤️: ok love u kyungja  _

_ kyungja~<3: ❤️ _

—

“Remember,” Kyungsoo says, fiddling with his sleeves. “It’s just my immediate family today. My parents and Seungsoo.”

Chanyeol nods absentmindedly, checking his reflection in the elevator mirror. 

“Think of today as a test. If we manage to fool them, no one will be able to see through us.”

Chanyeol nods again, this time fixing his bangs. 

“Are you listening?”

Chanyeol swivels around and does a 90 degree bow, “Yes, yes, _ sunbaenim _ . I got it.”

“Don’t call me that in front of my parents,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

“ _ Jagiya?”  _

Chanyeol walks out of the elevator, wincing and rubbing his arm. That’s definitely gonna bruise. He laces his fingers with Kyungsoo’s. 

Chanyeol chuckles. His hands are  _ so  _ small.

Kyungsoo doesn’t move. 

“What are you doing?” Chanyeol asks, tugging on Kyungsoo’s arm. “Are you getting cold feet?”

“What are  _ you  _ doing?” Kyungsoo hisses, motioning towards their locked hands.

“I’m making it believable. It would be incredibly awkward walking with your boyfriend and not holding hands.”

“Fine.”

“Kyungsoo!” 

They turn to see Kyungsoo’s mom waving excitedly at them.

“Eomma!” Kyungsoo smiles as he walks up to his mom and envelopes her in a hug. Chanyeol watches as Kyungsoo goes around the small table and hugs each of his family members. He doesn’t know what to do with himself so he waits there, holding his own hands. He’s in the middle of contemplating if it would be too soon to hug all of them like Kyungsoo did when he feels someone kick his shin. 

Chanyeol sputters through his introductions, ends up hugging Kyungsoo’s mom and finds his seat next to Kyungsoo. 

Should they hold hands under the table? 

Just as his hand twitches and he reaches out for Kyungsoo’s hand, Kyungsoo brings his arm up to reach for his glass of water. 

“So, Chanyeol,” Seungsoo starts, arranging his cutlery on the table so that it’s perfectly straight. “I did not see this coming. Kyungsoo’s never said anything about you.”

“Oh?” Chanyeol squeaks. 

Kyungsoo’s mom hurriedly cuts in, “Our Kyungsoo is a pretty private person after all. He rarely talks about his life.”

“He’s always talking about food, though,” Chanyeol grins, happy he remembers something right about Kyungsoo. 

“Ah, yes,” his mom chuckles. “He cooks even better than me now.”

“Ah, eomma, no, no. I could never beat your cooking.”

“Well, I have yet to try Kyungsoo’s cooking,” Chanyeol smiles, looking at Kyungsoo expectantly. “We’ve only been dating a while.”

“Oh, Kyungsoo never told us,” his dad says. “How long?”

“Uh,” Chanyeol feels yet another kick to his shin. A punishment, of sorts for bringing up that question when they haven’t discussed it yet. “3 months?”

“3 months,” Kyungsoo nods. Then, he smiles and bumps his shoulders with Chanyeol’s, “You remember after all.”

_ ACT ACT ACT _

“I could never forget,” Chanyeol smiles, all cheesy and wide. 

Kyungsoo’s mom coos and the waiter arrives to take Kyungsoo’s and his orders since his family had already ordered for themselves. 

They chat about all sorts of things while they eat like the weather, Chromosome Entertainment, how Chanyeol became an idol from a producer and how many instruments Chanyeol plays as they share food and it feels nice. Time passes very quickly and Kyungsoo’s parents excuse themselves to get some rest but Seungsoo forces them to stay and have a drink with him when Kyungsoo tries to make an excuse to leave too. 

Seungsoo pauses, “Wait, what about the story?”

“What story?” Chanyeol asks.

“The story of how you got together,” Seungsoo says, taking a final bite of his pasta. “You’ll be explaining it to lots of people over the next few days. So, let me hear it first.”

Chanyeol is still staring at the leftover sauce on Seungsoo’s plate, wondering if he should’ve ordered that instead. 

“You won’t like it,” Kyungsoo says, as if he has mind-reading powers. “It’s spicy.”

_ Kyungsoo read his list. _

“You guys are gross,” Seungsoo says. “Tell me the story.”

“I liked Kyungsoo ever since they called on me to produce his first album but he was already with Jihyun.”

“Ah,” Seungsoo winces. Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo, who’s glaring daggers at Seungsoo. But why-

“Chanyeol asked me out a while after we broke up and here we are,” Kyungsoo speaks, albeit hurriedly.

“That’s nice,” Seungsoo smiles. “Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo winces at the loudness of his older brother’s voice. 

“Will you walk me to my room? I have something I need your help with,” he says, seriously. Then, he looks at Chanyeol and smiles apologetically, “Family drama.”

“Ah! No worries!” Chanyeol exclaims, getting up and pulling his wallet out. “I’ll leave you two.”

Seungsoo hushes him, “I paid for it already. Don’t worry about it.”

Chanyeol blushes and scratches the back of his neck, “Ah, thank you. I’ll get going, then. See you later, Soo!”

Kyungsoo only nods and the last thing he sees is Seungsoo’s frown. 

He gets back to the hotel room and changes into more comfortable clothes; his neon shorts and a tank top. He’s considering ordering a snack from the hotel room service because he’s still hungry when his phone rings. He swipes his phone screen and answers the Facetime call, placing his phone on the table as he waits for the call to connect.

“Guess what?”

“What?” Chanyeol asks, still flipping through the menu. He’s a little tired of Italian food, maybe a pizza, though? He could split it with Kyungsoo, maybe as a little celebratory pizza party for getting through their first fake-date together.

“Our next filming location is in Jeju.”

Chanyeol freezes, pizza forgotten. He scrambles to pick his phone up and looks at Sehun’s smiling face on his screen, “No way.”

“I’m literally on the way to the airport as we speak,” Sehun grins, and Chanyeol looks at Sehun’s surroundings and manages to make out the familiar headrest from their manager’s car. 

“How long?”

“3 days, I think?” Sehun raises an eyebrow and looks somewhere off camera, most probably to their manager. “Yup, 3 days.”

Then, Sehun brings the camera closer to his face, so much so that Chanyeol’s screen is just a close-up of Sehun’s nose and mouth. His lips break out into a smirk, “How’s the fake-dating going?”

“What?” he hears his manager ask in the background.

They both ignore it. 

“Fake-dating you was much easier. It’s kinda awkward, like...his cousin upgraded our room and now we’ve only got one bed.”

Sehun snorts, “I bet you’re excited.”

“I don’t have a crush on him anymore,” Chanyeol groans, getting up from the chair to go lie on the bed instead. 

“Then, why would you agree to fake-date him?”

“I did it for you, didn’t I? I have zero feelings for you, you brat! Your logic sucks,” Chanyeol frowns, giving him the finger.

Sehun rolls his eyes, “I didn’t invite you to a destination wedding as my date and book us a honeymoon suite to share.”

“Same difference,” Chanyeol shrugs. “Will we get to meet up while you’re here?”

“I hope so,” Sehun sighs. Then, a smile, “I’d love to see you two in action. I wonder if I have time to attend a wedding…”

Sehun looks to the side again at their manager, possibly asking him a silent question about how busy his schedule would be. Chanyeol rolls his eyes, “You’re not even invited.”

“So? I could go as a wedding singer or something.”

“Sehun, we’re here.”

“Ah, I have to go, hyung. I’ll text you when I’m there and we can squeeze in a date for me to meet your little boyfriend.”

“That’s never gonna happen, Sehunnie,” Chanyeol smiles. “Have a safe flight!”

“Bye, hyung!”

The call disconnects. Chanyeol thinks about the possibility of Kyungsoo and Sehun meeting and shakes that away. Never.

He regrets telling Sehun about his stupid crush on Kyungsoo all those years ago but he was young and naive. Sehun was his closest friend in Chromosome at that time, okay well, maybe his only friend-friend, and he just needed someone to scream to about his crush.

_ “Ah.” Chanyeol smiles shyly, averting his eyes. “Kyungsoo-ssi, hi!” _

_ Chanyeol feels the warmth in his ears and prays that they’re not going red. From the smile on Baekhyun’s face, it looks like his prayers are not working.  _

_ Kyungsoo smiles politely, straight black hair falling into his eyes as he bows a little, “Hello, Chanyeol-ssi.” _

_ Chanyeol watches nervously as Kyungsoo’s eyes scan the studio and his messy workplace with his hands folded in front of him. He doesn’t dare look at Byun Baekhyun, afraid any further eye contact might make him say something stupid to embarrass him.  _

_ “Sorry for not cleaning up around here.” _

_ “Sorry for dropping by all of a sudden.” _

_ They pause after speaking at the same time and Kyungsoo lets out a shy chuckle. Chanyeol is mortified, painfully aware of the blush spreading across his face and neck but he finds himself laughing along with Kyungsoo.  _

_ Baekhyun speaks first, “Alright then. I guess I’ll leave you two to it.” _

_ To what? Chanyeol feels his hands getting sweaty and he hurriedly wipes it off on his jean shorts, or jorts, as he likes to call them. Baekhyun winks at the two of them and exits the studio, humming along to something deviously.  _

_ “I uh, I meant to say sorry for not cleaning up around here,” Chanyeol speaks, picking up a stray can of coffee he’d bought from the vending machine and hiding it behind his back. “I work messy?” _

_ “Oh,” Kyungsoo speaks, eyes wide before he waves his hands in front of Chanyeol. “It’s totally fine. It’s not even that messy.” _

_ Chanyeol’s heart feels like it’s about to burst. He’s so….sweet!  _

_ “I meant to say sorry for just dropping by without any warning. It’s my first full-length album and I kind of want to be a little more involved in the process so I asked Baek to bring me here.” _

_ Baek? _

_ “Oh, that’s fine! That’s cool! Actually, I was just touching up one of your potential songs. You want to try adding some adlibs?” _

_ Kyungsoo smiles.  _

_ Chanyeol melts. Why does his smile look like a heart?! How is that fair?! _

_ “I’d like that.” _

_ \--- _

_ “Ah, Sehunnie, you don’t understand,” Chanyeol shakes his head, eyes momentarily squeezed shut and right hand placed above his chest. “He’s adorable!” _

_ “Kyungsoo-hyung has always been intimidating to me,” Sehun says, eyeing Chanyeol suspiciously.  _

_ “Yes, but he’s so tiny and his voice sounds like literal honey and he’s so polite-” _

_ “And so beautiful, yes, I know,” Sehun nods, scrolling on his phone. _

_ “He is, though!” _

_ “Maybe I’ll get closer to him once they let me debut as an idol,” Sehun jokes. “Company concert and all.” _

_ “If you try to steal him from me,” Chanyeol half-threats, sending a not-so-intimidating glare Sehun’s way.  _

_ “Then, debut with me,” Sehun says nonchalantly. _

_ “Not this again,” Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “I’m not debuting as an idol.” _

_ “Why not? You can sing, you’re good-looking, you’re friendly and outgoing, you play so many instruments, and you can write and produce music. If you’re worried about dancing, you could just practice for a few months while I’m still undergoing my vocal training, or we could have an entirely different concept since it’d just be the two of us and not a whole boygroup.” _

_ Chanyeol looks at Sehun.  _

_ This is the first time he’s actually rendered Chanyeol speechless when it comes to this topic. It looks like he actually thought about it. _

_ “It’s not as easy as it sounds, Sehun-ah.” _

_ “Also,” Sehun ignores him. “You have stage presence. I’ve seen you perform when we’re all out together.” _

_ “Would they even allow one of their producers to debut as an idol?” _

_ “I don’t see why not, honestly. You’ve already got quite the fanbase on your own, so if they find out you’re debuting…” Sehun trails off.  _

_ Chanyeol sits up and stares at Sehun, “Have you already talked to someone about this?” _

_ Sehun’s smiles and his lips form into a straight line, “Maybe.” _

_ When Chanyeol’s eyes widen, Sehun raises both his hands in front of him in defense, “Just Junmyeon hyung!” _

_ “Junmyeon,” Chanyeol wracks his brain, it’s a familiar name, one of- _

_ “Kyungsoo’s manager?! Why?” _

_ “He’s the closest to Lay sunbaenim out of everyone here. Well, besides Baekhyun, but I didn’t want to talk to him about it yet.” _

_ “And what did he say?” _

_ “He said it was a good idea and encouraged it,” Sehun smiles proudly. “He thinks Lay sunbaenim would love the idea. You know this isn’t the first time they’ve thought of you debuting?” _

_ “Yeah,” Chanyeol nods, thinking about when he almost agreed to debuting in one of their boy groups a few years ago. “I don’t know, it’s still a lot.” _

_ “Wouldn’t it be nice to finally perform your own music for a change?” _

_ “It would, but it’s not that easy-” _

_ “Just trust me, alright?” _

Chanyeol’s snapped out of his memory when he hears the loud sound of the keycard being activated. He hears the door open and close but Kyungsoo takes his time walking to him. 

Chanyeol smiles, “Oh, hey, Kyungsoo.”

“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo groans. 

Chanyeol frowns. He watches as Kyungsoo runs his hands through his hair and untucks his shirt all while mumbling something that sounds like curse words under his breath. 

“You’ll never believe what happened,” Kyungsoo says, finally stopping and turning to look at him.

“...You ran into your cousin?”

“Well, no, but my brother saw right through us!”

“What?” Chanyeol sits up, startled. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, he thinks I’m using you as a rebound because I’m still not over Jihyun.”

_ Are you?  _ Is what Chanyeol wants to ask but he keeps his thoughts to himself. 

Instead, he says, “Well, that doesn’t really matter, right? You just wanted to prove that you were dating someone and you are. Do your intentions really matter?”

“Of course, they do! I need to show my dumb cousin and all my condescending relatives that I’m  _ happy _ .”

“Well, do you know what gave it away?”

“He said it looked like I didn’t want to be there with you, which to some extent is kinda true,” Kyungsoo stops to shrug, 

_ Well, ouch. _

“But, that was only because I was lying to my family! Which sane person would enjoy that? He also said I wasn’t lovey enough like I used to be with...well, with Jihyun.”

Chanyeol smiles, feeling the mood dampen all of a sudden. From his place by the headboard, he moves forward until he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, next to Kyungsoo. 

“Come on, Soo,” Chanyeol nudges him with his shoulders. “We can still convince them. All we have to do is go big on the PDA.”

“Seungsoo’s still going to see right through me,” Kyungsoo huffs, already given up. “That asshole. He thinks he knows me so well.”

Chanyeol clears his throat, “Was he right? About any of it?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything and Chanyeol thinks he might’ve overstepped his boundaries so he’s about to apologise when, “I don’t know.”

Chanyeol nods and moves to his former place, picking up the room service menu.

So, he wasn’t over her.

“Do you want to split a pizza?”

Kyungsoo stares at him as if he had just told him he’s had the biggest crush on Kyungsoo for years. Then, Kyungsoo sighs and tells him to pick out whatever flavor he wants.

By the time Kyungsoo’s out of the shower, their pizza has already arrived. Chanyeol looks up from his phone, “Ah! Kyungsoo, finally!”

Kyungsoo sheepishly apologises for taking so long and tells him that he didn’t need to wait for him to start eating. Chanyeol doesn’t listen to a word that comes out of Kyungsoo’s mouth, mainly because he’s too distracted by the sight that is Do Kyungsoo in his pajamas right after a shower.

Kyungsoo walks over to the table where Chanyel had placed the pizza and cuts a few big slices before piling them on a plate Chanyeol found in the kitchen pantry and giving it to Chanyeol, “You seem hungrier than me.”

Kyungsoo only eats two slices before pushing the giant plate with the rest of the pizza on it towards Chanyeol. They’d been watching some variety show on TV, someone Chanyeol’s seen around SM before, probably one of the rookies is cracking a joke. Kyungsoo chuckles at the joke and Chanyeol finds himself smiling before he knows it. 

“So,” Chanyeol says, reaching for his fourth slice. “What’s tomorrow’s plan?”

Kyungsoo groans, “Tomorrow’s the worst because we have the big family lunch, which means lying to everyone I’m related to but I figured we can get away a little earlier if we tell them that we have to practice the wedding song.”

“You’re singing the congratulatory song?” Chanyeol giggles. “Who chose you?”

Kyungsoo smacks his arm, “She did. She still likes my music, even if she’ll never admit it.”

“Wow,” Chanyeol exhales. 

“Yeah, she’s the worst, but, would you want to sing it with me?”

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, “Wouldn’t that be weird? I barely know anyone there.”   
  


“Please,” Kyungsoo snorts. “She’d love it. In fact, she’d love it so much that she might never bother me again.”

“In that case, I’m in.”

Kyungsoo smiles. He cuts another slice of the pizza and places it on Chanyeol’s plate, “So, what’s  _ your  _ plan for tomorrow?”

“My plan?”

“Uh huh,” Kyungsoo smirks. “You’re the one that said it’d be easy to convince Seungsoo and the rest of my family.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol mirrors his smirk. “I have a plan and it’s a brilliant plan but I’m not telling you until tomorrow morning.”

“That doesn’t sound very brilliant,” Kyungsoo cocks his head to the side jokingly. 

Chanyeol thinks his heart stutters.

Chanyeol leans back in his seat in a cocky way, “Trust me, Soo. It will be brilliant.”

They bicker for a while as Kyungsoo waits for Chanyeol to finish the pizza. They make comments about certain celebrities on the variety show and Kyungsoo tells him about the time he got scolded by Junmyeon for not talking enough. They don’t speak of it, but they both try to drag the conversation and make any sort of excuse to not go to bed. Chanyeol does it mostly because he thinks he’d much rather spend his time talking to Kyungsoo than doing something as boring as sleeping-- which he’d already done the whole day but he when Kyungsoo yawns for the 5th time, he gets up. 

They clean pretty quickly, working together and Chanyeol makes up an excuse about needing to do his extensive nighttime skincare routine when they’re finally done just so he can escape to their bathroom. He knows Kyungsoo’s pretty uncomfortable about sharing a bed with him so he hopes he comes back to Kyungsoo knocked out like he did earlier today when they first got here. 

When he returns, humming along to one of his unreleased songs, Kyungsoo’s facing the opposite direction and scrolling on his phone. He doesn’t seem to notice Chanyeol since he’s all wrapped up in the heavy white, hotel blanket so Chanyeol carefully slips under the blanket and picks up his phone. He still can’t sleep just yet so he turns on his side, mimicking Kyungsoo and decides to catch up on one of his favorite webtoons. 

Around 10 minutes later or so, Chanyeol feels a kick to his shin underneath the blankets. He looks up from his phone and rolls over on his side to see Kyungsoo facing him, somehow wide awake. Kyungsoo looks at him with worried eyes, “Is everything okay?”

“....Yeah, why?”

The worried expression on Kyungsoo’s face immediately turns into a blank expression, “You’ve been kicking your feet around in your sleep.”

Chanyeol blushes bright red, “Oh, I wasn’t sleeping.”

“You were just being annoying?” Kyungsoo asks, nodding in mock understanding. 

Chanyeol shoves Kyungsoo’s shoulder. 

When did he get physically close enough to do that? 

“My webtoon isn’t going the way it’s supposed to,” Chanyeol whines, pulling out his phone from behind him. 

Kyungsoo laughs at his misery. Kyungsoo laughs. Like a full on, three syllable, slightly high-pitched laugh. Chanyeol’s heart might just burst.

“You’re a big baby,” Kyungsoo smiles, poking his cheek.

Chanyeol’s heart may have just burst. 

“What webtoon are you reading?’

Chanyeol doesn’t answer for a whole minute, still replaying Kyungsoo’s laughter and Kyungsoo poking his cheek in his mind on a loop. When Kyungsoo snaps his fingers in front of him and jokingly scolds him to get himself together, he finally speaks and tells him the name of the webtoon while stuttering. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes light up, “Oh, I’ve been reading that too!” 

He climbs out of bed,  _ just, god, he’s so small _ , and walks over to his backpack, pulling out an iPad. Chanyeol feels a wave of relief wash over him when Kyungsoo gets back to bed, settling down comfortably next to him. Chanyeol tells himself it’s only because it’s too cold and Kyungsoo being next to him makes it a little warmer but he isn’t sure if he believes it himself. 

Kyungsoo opens the app he uses to read webtoons and it turns out he’s two chapters behind Chanyeol, “You’ll just have to give me commentary while I read these two chapters.”

Chanyeol flashes a toothy grin, “Gladly.”

\---

Kyungsoo wakes up at 5 am the next morning because of his bladder. 

It’s hard to move, let alone get up and go to the toilet when he’s being spooned by a six foot giant with an incredibly strong grip. He doesn’t know how they ended up this way, but he’s honestly not surprised that Chanyeol’s a cuddler. He looks like it anyway. It takes a bit of wriggling, maybe some gentle ushering and reassurance for unconscious Chanyeol that he’ll be back and definitely a lot of strength but he makes it out of bed and finally gets to pee. 

When he gets back, Chanyeol’s turned on the other side but still too close to Kyungsoo’s side of the bed. If he feels a tinge of disappointment at the fact that Chanyeol isn’t facing him anymore, he tells himself it’s because of the cold.

However, as if he’d been waiting for him, when Kyungsoo gets back under the covers, Chanyeol immediately turns to face him and drapes a hand across him, holding him tight. If Kyungsoo places his cold hand over Chanyeol’s warm hand that’s resting on his stomach, it’s  _ solely  _ because of the cold. 

When Kyungsoo wakes up again, to his disappointment, he’s no longer being spooned. However, Chanyeol is right beside him on the bed, dressed in casual clothes with one hand on either side of Kyungsoo. Suddenly, Kyungsoo is painfully aware of the position they’re in and the heat rushing to his face. 

Chanyeol smiles down at him, “Ah, finally! You’re awake!”

He removes his right hand that’s beside Kyungsoo’s left arm and scoots away slightly to give Kyungsoo some room to sit up, “When did you get up?”

“A while ago,” Chanyeol shrugs, then, he smirks. “I wanted to show you my foolproof plan.”

Kyungsoo nods, gesturing for him to show him as he slowly rubs at his eyes. 

Chanyeol reaches behind him to pull out two miniatures of hard liquor, “Surprise!”

**Author's Note:**

> pls let me know what u think enjoy also there will be multiple chapters n my curious cat is peraltiagospidey if you have any questions about the fic also i was rly lazy w the naming process this time round sorry


End file.
